


A Moment of Clarity

by Dalian



Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Build
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, spoiler up to episode 26
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23799586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dalian/pseuds/Dalian
Summary: After staying up for hours working on his research, Sento finally decided to turn in for the night. Just when the physicist thought that he’s the only soul awake at Nascita, he comes across a lone figure sitting in the darkness of the cafe.
Relationships: Banjou Ryuuga & Kiryuu Sento, Banjou Ryuuga/Kiryuu Sento
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	A Moment of Clarity

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! This is my first work for the RyuSen fandom, which is very late since I only started watching Kamen Rider again recently. I hope that everyone can enjoy this as much as I did while writing it. Please feel free to leave comments on what you think of the fanfic or if you have any recommendation for my next project.
> 
> Note: Unllike the show, for this story, I wrote it where the cafe actually has a second floor, so everyone has their separate room.

“Anddd~ done!” Sento announced, clicking the saved icons on his document. Turning off the computer, he stood up from his chair and stretched, feeling the soreness from the battle earlier kicking in.

Ever since they returned home earlier that evening, after showering off the sweat from the fight and having dinner, Sento has been sitting at his computer recording their recent match. It usually doesn’t take long, even with the addition of the fugitive, so he decided to continue on his latest project. With the next duel between Touto and Seito coming around, Sento knows that they need something even stronger. Unfortunately, Rabbit Tank Sparkling has been long outdated.

Looking up at the clock on the wall, the physicist noticed that it’s already 2:45 am. He could’ve pulled another all-nighter, but he knew Misora wouldn’t be too happy about it. With one final glimpse at the empty lab, Sento makes his way toward the spiral staircase and up to the empty cafe above. Or, at least that’s what he thought.

As he opened the fridge’s doors quietly and entered the room, a noise from the corner instantly caught his attention. It was dark in the cafe, but after a few seconds, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he could make out a figure sitting on the sofa.

“Banjou?” He called out weakly.

The figure didn’t respond or move, which only creeped him out even more. First, he has to get the light, which he manages to find rather quickly through the dark and turns it on. Almost like snapping out of a trance, Banjou's eyes blinked rapidly and looked around the room, finally noticing Sento approaching him. “Oh, Sento. What are you doing up so late?”

“Researching,” Sento replied slowly, still weirded out by how the boxer didn’t answer him earlier. _What's got him so caught up? How long has he been sitting here?_ “and I can ask you the same thing. Why are you sitting here alone in the dark?”

“Oh, that….umm I just couldn’t sleep,” Banjou explained, forcing a weak smile as he nervously scratched his head. He looked around the room, anywhere but Sento’s eyes. “It was getting a bit suffocating in my room so I went for a walk.”

“Hmmm.” Crossing his arms across his chest, Sento continued to stare at him with doubt. Something about how Banjou is behaving is weirding him out.

On a closer look, Sento noticed how bad his complexion was. Dark circles underneath his eyes, hands clasping tightly onto each other, breathing unevenly. He’s wearing his usual nightclothes, a simple t-shirt, and sweatpants, which must mean he did attempt to go to bed. The sight of a bewildered Banjou tugs heavily on his heart. He’s not sure what to ask to not make the boxer shy away from him. “Is there anything bothering you?”

“Wh-what?! No! Of course not.” Banjou immediately dismissed the idea, looking even more startled by the question. It’s almost like he recalled something. “It’s probably because we fought earlier. I guess my mind is still coming down from it, that’s all.”

That’s the second lie he has told him in the last 2 minutes. Something must be bothering him to the point of mentioning the idea of it bringing flashbacks. A frown formed on Sento's face as he watched the fidgeting Banjou.

_Only an idiot would believe your story, he thought._

“Banjou, stop lying to me. I can tell that something is bothering you.” Ignoring the troubling reaction from the boxer, Sento pushed it a bit further. ”Now, tell me, what is going on?”

No answer. Banjou looks away, taking in deep breaths, eyebrows furrowing as he decides whether or not to spill it. After what felt like forever, he stood up abruptly, prompting Sento to flinch a bit. Letting out an exhausted sigh before turning toward Sento. the boxer simply said: ”It’s nothing to worry about. Goodnight, Sento.”

As much as Banjou wants to sound like he's okay, his voice was full of worry and distress. Working alongside the brunette for a while now, he can say that this type of behaviour is expected from him. It's true that they have gotten closer over the last couple of months, but perhaps that closeness causes them to fear sharing their burden. They understand the other person already faced so many difficulties that they don't want to concern them with their own problems.

As Banjou attempted to walk past Sento and escape the conversation, the physicist turned around and snatched tightly onto his arm, stopping him in his tracks, ”Wait! I’m not letting you go that easy.”

”Sento?”

”Tonight, you’re sleeping with me.” the physicist announced, not bothering to wait for a reply before marching toward his room, pulling a confused Banjou right behind. The boxer didn’t decline or attempt to stop him, so he took this as a yes. Opening the door to his room, he let Banjou enter first before following right behind. The younger male just stands there, fidgeting in his spot, waiting for Sento to break the silence. Everything that he’s doing is very out of character, but Sento didn’t care.

“Hmmm, it might be a bit cramped, but it should do,” Sento mumbles, forgetting to consider whether or not his bed is big enough before making his offer. “You can pick either side, I don’t care.”

Banjou nodded and slowly made his way toward the bed in the middle of the small room. He stopped in front of it, looking back at Sento one last time, almost expecting the other male to change his mind, before taking off his shoes and getting in the bed. Sento was on the other side of his room, changing into a more comfortable shirt before getting in the bed himself. He can feel Banjou watching him all the way through, his stare burned against his back. Settling comfortably in his bed, Sento laid down and turned his back against Banjou. “Goodnight.”

“Oh-umm goodnight, Sento,” Banjou replied back.

Despite putting up a calmed attitude this entire time, Sento’s action has finally caught up to him. It's embarrassing, the notion of sharing a bed with someone is awkward. Regardless of all those things he did with Banjou that one night, neither of the two ever really mentioned the reason behind it. In the heat of the moment, it just felt right. Which is why, tonight, it felt right for Sento to do this. It was an impulsive proposal, yes, acting on his own accord at the sight of a distressed Banjou, but wasn’t that also what Banjou did that night.

“Banjou, are you asleep?” Sento asked, hearing shuffling behind him, which he took as a yes before continuing on. “What do you think is gonna happen to this war?”

A long pause before Banjou finally speaks up. “I...I don’t know.”

“Me neither,” Sento said suddenly, turning back to face Banjou, who has a surprised expression on his face. Instead of being confused like his partner, Sento’s almond-shaped eyes were bright, he scooted closer, grasping onto his hand tightly with a soft smile on his lips. “And that’s okay. We’re both doing our best, aren’t we? You don't have to pretend to be okay.”

This is the first time anyone ever looked at him this close and intensely. His gaze drifted from his eyes to his lips, trailing down to his collarbone before back up to the hand that’s holding his. Almost like his words have uncovered something buried deep inside Banjou, a strange emotion has clouded up those eyes of his. A thin line forms on his lips as he takes a deep breath, unsure of what to say.

”Sento is it alright if I….” Seeming to read his mind, Sento nodded with a smile before moving even closer, close enough where he can feel Banjou pulling him into a tight embrace. The boxer's left arm draped comfortably around his waist, his other hand served as Sento’s pillow, allowing the physicist to bury himself against his warm chest. Sento closed his eyes, taking in the aromatic scent as he nuzzled against his shirt.

Safe is the only word to describe what he was feeling at the moment. With his hand moving up and down Banjou’s back in a soothing manner, he could also feel the Dragon owner loosen up against him. The two Kamen Riders lay there peacefully, enjoying each other's presence and warmth. It was so comforting that Sento felt like he's melting slowly inside his embrace.

”A lot has been going through my mind recently.” Banjou muttered, his nose buried in the physicist's dark locks, his embrace tightened. His body was trembling like his voice. ”After we won the duel against Hokuto, I thought that it was finally over. I can still recall the moment right after I stopped you, telling you that you have won, and seeing how you cried out of relief that you hadn’t hurt anyone. It was everything that I have been fighting for.”

Sento grimaces slightly as he thinks back to that day. He can still remember the desperation he felt before he lost control, trying to utilize what he learned a few hours ago, trying to end the match before his time ran out. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Misora, hands clutching onto the bottle he gave her that night. Fear plagues her usual cheerful complexion, and it only makes Sento more desperate. He doesn't care about his life, but he doesn't want her to live with the same sin he once committed.

”But, it was all over too soon.” Banjou continued. ”I’m not scared of dying, Sento. I’m scared of what will happen to those innocent civilians if I fail to win this match. It's not their fault. They haven't done anything wrong.”

”It’s my fault. If I had never created-”

”No, that person was not you.” Banjou cuts him off before Sento can start blaming himself. ”You are not Katsuragi Takumi.”

”I know, but-”

”You’re nothing like him. All you have done so far is save lives, Sento, countless lives, ” he paused, before adding ”...including mine.”

Sento hesitated at the last comment, a bitter sentiment rumbled deep inside him, voice caught in his throat. He doesn't know whether to take that as a good thing. It's true that his decision that day had saved Banjou’s life, but if none of the stuff with Takumi ever happened, the boxer wouldn’t have been framed for murder in the first place.

”Which is why, for everyone's sake, stop blaming yourself. If you’re not happy, everything that I have worked so hard for would be all for nothing.” Banjou finished, the weight that had built inside him for weeks was finally lifted.

Sento remained silent. Banjo's statements were so genuine and sweet, filled with nothing but affection to the point where Sento didn’t think he deserved it. Heartbeats quicken within its cage, with the feeling of butterflies in his stomach, he found whatever he wanted to say before dying in his throat. All this time, the physicist did nothing but turned a blind eye to his emotions, hiding behind that ego of his. Whenever anxieties were snapping at his heels, Sento merely cast it away, pretending it doesn't exist. It only gets him so far before everything would come crashing down all at once, burying him alive within his own head. It's almost like every time he lost control while using the Hazard Trigger. Except, there, he doesn't experience the breakdown, but only the reenactment of the void he trapped in as his grip on reality vanished.

 _But, that muscle head..._ he thought to himself. At times like that, he knows that Banjou will break through anything to get to him like he did that day. He and his reckless nature, pushing his body to the brink of collapsing just to save him. Perhaps, as much he didn't want to admit it, deep down, Sento was waiting for it, hoping Banjou would be his hero. No matter how badly they quarrelled, the two of them will always be there for each other.

_He had always been there for me._

”Sento?”

”Then, there should be nothing to worry about.” Sento said, his voice was so soft that it came out more of a whisper. Pushing aside the tears that threatened to spill over, Sento gathered up his voice and tried to sound more lively. ”I’m not as mushy as you, muscle head. Just because I get overwhelmed here and there doesn't mean I’m gonna let my sidekick outshine me.”

”Eh?”

”No matter what happens, I will always be there to save the day.” Sento said, lifting his head up a bit to meet Banjou’s eyes. ”Cause, I’m the hero after all.”

Laughter broke out from Banjou as Sento's usual bold tagline. His laugh resonated nicely inside his chest, clear and untroubled. No matter the situation, the physicist still managed to brag about his heroism. _It’s quite adorable,_ Banjou finds himself thinking. He held him closer, left hand now tangled inside his dark hair, brushing it gently. ”Thank you, Sento.”

A smile blossoms on his lips, the happiness from that little compliment fills his chest with fondness. It's rare for both of them to wholeheartedly express their feelings, besides those brief glances, so they're gonna fully cherish it. Cause, they both know, when the sun peeks out from under the mountains, signifying a new day, everything will go back to normal, back to their usual routine.

The anxious sensation from before vanished into thin air as sleepiness washed over him. Closing his eyes heavy with sleep, Sento snuggled up even closer to Banjou, forgetting all the bad things in his life just for one night. As he drifted off to sleep, he can still feel the warmth radiating from the Dragon owner, his rhythmic breathing against his hair, and his strong arms sheltering him.

For once, Sento found himself smiling in his dream.


End file.
